


Dread Hourglass

by Burdenedwithgloriousporpoise



Series: Loki Fics [1]
Category: Thor (Movies)
Genre: Ambiguous/Open Ending, Gen, Infinity Gems, Jötunn Loki, Post-Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie), Prompt Fic, Quests, Time Gem (Marvel)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-23
Updated: 2016-04-23
Packaged: 2018-06-03 22:44:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6629974
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Burdenedwithgloriousporpoise/pseuds/Burdenedwithgloriousporpoise
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor and Sif return to find Asgard destroyed and Loki, the sole survivor, perched undisguised on the throne. He pleads innocence and reveals a larger enemy in whose plot he and the others are merely pawns, then submits a plan to undo the damage by seeking the Time Gem. He claims his desperate plan is the only hope of saving the Nine Realms...but can he be trusted?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dread Hourglass

Golden throne room walls encased in a prismatic sheen of ice. The beautiful shroud covered destruction—charred patches, rubble, corpses of a fallen army. Sif's breath was a cloud. The floor was slick; steps slow and careful, punctuated by a sudden brace to regain balance. Thor had already fallen once. His cheeks burned red from cold and exacerbated fury.

The great doors were ajar, icicles hanging from the massive handles. They entered.

Sitting on the throne, high above, far away, a lone dark-clothed figure. Her heart skipped a beat. Dead? Or just—sitting? Waiting?

Their approach was silent, hesitant, ending at the threshold of the stairs leading to the throne. Thor stepped up--

“Enough.” Spoken in a familiar voice that echoed like a rolling tide through the hall.

The ice shifted beneath Thor and he was pulled back to the threshold. He pushed himself up, slipped again, fell and managed to stand on shaking legs, brandishing Mjolnir. “You!”

The figure stood.

Sif frowned. He was blue-skinned; a Jotun, but far smaller than average-sized.

He descended the stairs with that gait both poised and nonchalant, unassuming yet completely in control.

Her heart squeezed.

Still descending, and then finally stopped before them with a half-smile.

Her blood roared against her ears.

Red-eyed, face marred by patterned scars, teeth a shark-like flash of white against the blue skin. And yet...

“Hello, brother,” he said. Voice a smooth purr, low and with that foreign accent he'd somehow managed to retain even after spending most of his life among Norsemen.

Loki? A Jotun?

His gaze flicked to her for an instant, back to Thor. “What brings you here?”

Thor was barely contained. “You know what.”

Loki's eyebrows rose. “Hm? Oh!” He smiled in mock enlightenment. “Is this about...?” He gestured around the throne room. All levity faded from his face. “Because whatever you're thinking, you're wrong.”

Thor swung Mjolnir and an ice-shield rose from the floor in a flash, shattered by the blow. Icy spikes rose around him and pushed him back into a forming pen. Mjolnir spun and he leaped, sailing over the spears; a spike from the floor pierced through his wrist and the hammer thudded to the ground.

Sif charged with spear brandished.

Loki didn't move. A wall appeared before her and she slammed against it; the spear went through and the ice swallowed it, creeping towards her hands. She let go and ran to the side, but three more walls rose to complete the prison.

For the first time he looked at her. “A moment, Sif.” Back to his brother.

Loki's slight figure was dwarfed before Thor's—he had to tilt to look him in the eye. Abandoned were the broad shoulder plates worn in the conquest of Midgard, along with the high collar, bright colors and heavy armor. The kingly gold had been replaced with black. But the absence of illusion revealed new confidence. He wasn't projecting power through sleight of hand. The svelte new look was his own. He was comfortable with his own skin and abilities, and that was more frightening than the imposing figure of before.

“What did you think you would do when you arrived? Muscle me into submission?" Ice gathered beneath his feet, lifting him to Thor's eye-level; then above. His chin tilted up and he looked down with a slight snort. “Anyway. I have a mission for you, brother.”

For a moment Thor was frozen, incredulous. Then his expression leveled, wild rage focused into a melting glare. “A mission? After you turned an entire realm into a tomb?”

The ice receded, bringing the two to eye level, inches apart. “I didn't do this,” Loki hissed.

Thor was unflinching. “Then what?”

Their stare continued a moment longer. Then Loki slipped away, taking a gliding step before assuming a normal gait. His hands clasped behind his back. “The same who orchestrated the attack on Midgard, if you'd been willing to see.”

“I am in no gaming mood!”

Loki turned. “Indeed? Do you never have the feeling that you exist as a piece on a great board? A pawn? No, not a pawn. You'd be a rook.”

“Loki--”

“I like to think I'm the player. I see you all moving about—you'd be best here, you should move there. But none of you see my hand, and none of you can fathom what I'm playing you against.”

Sif took a breath. It anchored her in the sea of rage, surprise, hurt. “Loki. Tell us what's going on.”

He faced her. A flicker of chagrin crossed his eyes, gone in an instant, invisible to Thor. He half-smiled.

“I returned to Asgard from Svartalfheim as you know, brother. When I arrived, I found all as you see it.”

Thor snorted. “I preferred it when you acknowledged your deceit. Made it easier to deal with.”

“I'm not lying.”

Thor's lip twitched.

“Why would I lie about this? If I am as you say, wouldn't I be proud to take responsibility? Or do I simply take joy from misleading you?” He raised his eyebrows, eyes flicked to the left. “Alright. I'll admit on occasion I do take such joy. But not now.” Gaze turned serious. “This was not my doing.” He advanced, gestured at him. “You had a vision in the pool of the Norns, did you not? Why else would you have returned when such dire circumstances threatened your precious Midgard?”

Thor swallowed. Sweat trickled down his face and his hand twitched, wrist still pinned, blood still trickling.

“Did they show you the stones?”

His eyes flashed and his chest swelled as he inhaled.

Loki nodded. “As I thought. Six gems of unimaginable power, sought after by the being that sent me on my conquest of Midgard. He is mad and powerful, raised on malice and despair, fueled by twisted love; the titan Thanos. You know of him. Our game began after the abyss.”

For a moment Thor's brow furrowed in confusion, then smoothed in enlightenment.

Loki glanced at Sif. “After I fell from the Bifrost I was captured and put in possession of a scepter, within which was your Vision—the mind stone. I was put beneath its control and sent to retrieve the space stone, what the Midgardians called the Tesseract. I swear this was not my doing. And to avert what disaster I might cause, I assembled the Avengers to protect and later attack the threatening evil. But my act of disobedience cost me, brother, just as he said it would. Upon my return I found what you see. He had said I would be punished; he was as good as his word.” A pause. “And now for your mission.”

Veins stood out on Thor's neck and forehead. His jaw shifted and his lip curled.

Loki continued undeterred. “When I arrived, Odin alone was left alive. He told me that in his desperation to solve the crisis, he had used Seidr to discover the existence and whereabouts of a gem that can control time. If you aid me in retrieving that gem, we can prevent this damage before it occurs. Will you do that?”  
Thor's mouth opened but no words formed; he closed it. Then he pointed with his free hand. “You want me to bring you such a weapon?” He shook his head, voice rising to a thunderous shout. “No. No, you're upset because he robbed you the satisfaction of doing this yourself!”

Loki closed his eyes. “No.” A pause. “It's actually a bit worse than that.”

Thor frowned, face sweaty and red, veins pulsing.

Loki winced. “Remember the Tesseract?”

Confusion on his brother's face; then his eyes widened and skin paled as realization set in. He shook his head.

“I'm afraid so. The vault's been ransacked. Everything's taken. I don't know when or where the attack will begin, but it will be devastating. And it won't start with anyone strong enough to stand against him. He'll start with the weakest and gather power through genocide until he becomes unstoppable.” He stood before him again, close. “I'm giving you the chance to save the universe. I'm not asking as your brother—I'm not asking as your friend. I'm asking as the representative of every soul that faces death in the coming storm. Will you help?”

Thor swallowed. He spoke through clenched teeth. “Only a fool would trust you.”

“It's different this time.”

“How?”

The ice spike slid back into the floor and crimson droplets spattered on the ice. Thor grunted, clutched his wrist.

“If you won't accept my claims of honor, think of it this way--if we fail, I'm amidst the casualties. I need your help as much as they, and I'm not about to commit suicide to spite you.”

Thor's glower remained. His bloody right hand trembled; he took Mjolnir in his left.

Loki took a breath. “If you believe I'm lying, strike me down now.” He raised his arms parallel with his sides. “I don't prefer waiting for the inevitable, especially anticipating the custom hospitality I'll receive from Thanos.”

The two stood like that a moment. Then Thor yelled and smashed the hammer into his brother's chest. Loki flew backwards and crashed against the stairs in a shower of ice and stone. The hammer's next target was Sif's prison; she ducked as it flew over her head, shattering the walls. It returned to Thor's hand and he ascended the first flight to where Loki lay stunned. He grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him upright, face-to-face.

Loki coughed, voice strained. “I see you're ambidextrous.”

“That was a warning,” growled Thor. “Do not take me lightly. At the first sign of betrayal, you're finished.” He threw him down again, lifted the hammer as if to strike and Loki flinched. Thor lowered it, seeming satisfied.

Sif joined him on the stairs.

“So, where is this gem?”

Loki shifted and groaned slightly.

Thor hauled him upright, and Loki gripped his forearm as he steadied himself. After a moment he released it, adjusted his clothes, brushed something off his shoulder and took a deep breath. He winced. “The gem is located...”

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I really liked this idea, but I don't have time to think the rest of it through...didn't want to leave the scene unwritten though. If anyone has ideas...? XD XD Seriously write the next chapter it's open haha :P


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